Jig for assembling fabric covered button



Nov. 2, 1965 M. F. ADlNoLFl 3,214,811

JIG FOR ASSEMBLING FABRIC COVERED BUTTON Filed May 6, 1963 a. INVENTOR.

M/CHAEL F ,QD/NOLF/ v f8 BMX /O E LE E /4 AT1-@mns United States PatentO M 3,214,811 HG FR ASSEMBLING FABRIC CVERED BUTTON Michael F. Adinolfi,Brooklyn, N.Y., assigner to Empire State Metal Products, Inc., New York,NX., a corporation of New York Filed May 6, 1963, Ser. No. 278,087 1Claim. (Cl. 24-113) My invention relates to a jig for assembling afabric covered button and more particularly to an improved jig forassembling a fabric covered button which permits the assembled button tobe removed from the jig in a rapid and expeditious manner.

There are known in the prior art assemblies for making buttons coveredwith a fabric which matches a garment fabric. These buttons generallyinclude a hollow shell providing a fabric-supporting surface. A circularpiece of fabric having a diameter which is greater than that of thefinished button is stretched over the shell with the edge thereof foldedover into the shell. When these operations have been performed, a diskor the like is inserted into the shell to clamp the fabric between theouter edge of the disk and the shell wall.

It will readily be appreciated that the assembly operation describedabove is somewhat dilicult to perform with the hands alone since thefabric edge must be held within the shell while the retaining disk isapplied to the assembly. Moreover, care must be taken to ensure that thefabric is stretched tightly over the fabric-supporting surface.

In order to facilitate the assembly of a fabric covered button, such asis described above, it has been suggested that there be provided a jigor die having a cavity which generally conforms to the fabric-supportingsurface of the shell. With such a jig, the fabric is placed over the jigrecess and the shell is inserted into the recess to draw the fabrictightly over the supporting surface. Then the edge of the fabric can betucked into the shell and the backing member or retainer disk canreadily be applied thereto. More particularly, in the prior art it hasbeen suggested that the jig be provided with an internal annular rib orbead so that when the shell and the fabric are applied to the jig, therib tends to direct the edge of the fabric inwardly to facilitate theoperation of applying the retaining disk. While this device functionssomewhat in the manner described, it incorporates the distinctdisadvantage that the dimension of the rib is such as to make withdrawalof the assembled button a relatively difficult operation.

I have invented a jig for assembling a fabric covered button whichovercomes the defects of assembling devices of the prior art. My jigretains all of the advantageous features of assembling devices of theprior art while greatly facilitating the operation of removing theassembled button from the jig. My jig facilitates the operation ofsecuring the fabric over the shell by means of the retaining disk whileat the same time permitting the assembly to be removed from the jig withease.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved jig for assemblingfabric covered buttons which overcomes the disadvantages of assemblingdevices of the prior art.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved jig forassembling a fabric covered button which permits the assembled button tobe removed from the jig with relative ease.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide an improved jig forassembling a fabric covered button which greatly facilitates theoperation of securing the fabric over the button shell while at the sametime permitting the assembled button to be removed with ease.

3,214,811 Patented Nov. 2, 1965 J(Ie Other and further objects of myinvention will appear from the following description.

In general my invention contemplates the provision of a jig forassembling fabric covered buttons in which the jig body which is made ofresilient material has a generally cylindrical shell-receiving recess ofa diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of the shell. Whenthe fabric has been placed under the shell and as the shell is pushedinto the recess, the shell lip directs the fabric into anoutwardly-extending annular groove formed in the inner surface of thejig wall. The upper edge of the groove directs the fabric edge inwardlyof the jig to permit the retaining disk to be assembled. The outer jigwall is provided with a draft from its upper edge toward the base -ofthe jig to permit the upper edge wall to be flexed outwardly with easeto pop the assembled button out of the jig recess.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the instantspecification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and inwhich like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in thevarious views:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of my improved jig for assembling fabriccovered buttons.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of my improved jig for assembling fabriccovered buttons taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of my improved jig for assembling fabriccovered buttons indicating the relative disposition of the parts afterthe shell and fabric have been applied to the jig.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of my improved jig for assembling fabriccovered buttons illustrating the final step in the formation of a fabriccovered button.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of my improved jig for assembling fabriccovered buttons illustrating the manner in which an assembled buttonpops out of the jig.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, my improved jigindicated generally by the reference character 10 is formed from asuitable resilient material such, for example, as a natural or syntheticrubber. I form my jig 1t) with a generally cylindrical recess 12 toprovide a base 14 and a wall 16. I form an annular groove 18 in theinner surface of the wall 16 in any suitable manner. For a reason whichwill be explained in detail hereinafter, I provide the outer surface ofthe wall 16 with a draft from the upper edge thereof toward the base 14so that the portion of the wall 16 adjacent the base 14 is thinner thanthe upper edge thereof.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, my jig 10 is intended for use for afabric covered button, one element of which is a shell 20 having a wall22 and providing a fabric-supporting surface 24. I provide the shell 20with an inwardly directed bead 26 and with a lip 28 which extendsoutwardly somewhat from the bead 26 to provide the shell with a mouth.

In assembling a fabric covered button by use of my jig 10, I first cut agenerally circular piece of fabric 30 having an outer diameter somewhatgreater than the outer diameter DS of the shell 20. The recess 12 has adiameter DR which is slightly greater than the diameter Ds. In theinitial step of forming a fabric covered button by use of my jig, Ifirst place the cut fabric over the jig recess 12 and then push theshell 20 down into the recess 12 so as to stretch the fabric 30 tightlyover the entire surface 24 of the shell. I so space the groove 18 fromthe base 14 that the portion of the fabric 30 outside the lip 28 extendsinto the groove 18 somewhat. Owing to this action, the upper edge of thegroove 18 tends to direct the edge of the fabric 30 inwardly of the jigas shown in FIGURE 3. This disposition of the fabric edge greatlyfacilitates the operation of assembling the button as will be apparentfrom the description given hereinafter.

The remaining element of the button assembly is a retainer disk 32carrying a loop 34 which permits the assembled button to be secured tothe garment. The disk 32 has an annular bead 36 which permits the diskto ex and it has a ange 38 which extends outwardly and slightly upwardlyaround the bead 36. The outer diameter of the flange 38 is slightly lessthan the inner diameter of the bead 26 to provide the required clampingaction. Now with the parts in the relative positions shown in FIGURE 3,the disk 32 as shown in FIGURE 4 can be moved down into the shell andbehind the bead 26. Owing to the disposition of the fabric 30, the ange38 readily engages the fabric as disk 32 is moved into the shell. Whenthe flange 38 is moved to a position behind bead 26, the fabric issecurely clamped in position over the surface 24 of the shell 20.

When al1 the operations described above have been performed, a completedbutton assembly indicated generally by the reference character 40 hasbeen made. Now in order to remove the button 40 from the jig 10 withoutthe danger of disassembling the parts, pressure is applied to the upperedge of the wall 16 at a pair of generally diametrically oppositepoints, as indicated by the arrows a in FIGURE 5. At the same time,pressure is applied to the underside of the base 14. When this is done,the jig readily ilexes and the assembled button 40 pops out of the jigwith ease. As is pointed out hereinabove, I so construct my jig that thewall 16 tapers somewhat from the upper surface thereof toward the baseso that the exing operation just described can easily be performed topop the button 40 out of the jig.

In operation of my fabric covered button assembling jig, when a piece offabric 30 has been cut, it is stretched over the surface 24 of shell 20and the shell is pushed into the recess 12. Finally, the edge of flange28 is positioned adjacent the groove 18 to force some of the fabric 30into the groove to cause the edge of the fabric to be directed inwardlyof the shell. Now the clamping disk 32 is moved into the shell behindthe bead 26. In the course of this operation, flange 38 engages thefabric to clamp it between the edge of the flange and the bead 26. Next,in response to pressure applied to the upper edge of the wall 16 and tothe underside of the base 14, the assembled button 40 is easily poppedout of the jig 10.

It will be seen that I have accomplished the objects of my invention. Ihave provided an improved jig for assembling fabric covered buttonswhich overcomes the disadvantages of assembling devices of the priorart. My device retains all the advantages of assembling devices of theprior art While at the same time permitting an assembled button to bepopped out of the jig with relative ease. My jig pulls the fabric edgeinwardly to facilitate assembly of the clamping disk while at the sametime permitting the assembled button to be popped out of the jig.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of myclaim. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in detailswithin the scope of my claim without departing from the spirit of myinvention. It is, therefore, to be understood that my invention is notto be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A jig for assembling fabric covered buttons, each of which buttons has ashell for receiving a piece of fabric, said shell having a given outerdiameter, said jig including a body of resilient material having a wallwith a generally smooth and continuous inner surface and a base, saidwall surface and said base defining a generally circular recess having adiameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of said shell, and anannular groove extending around said inner surface between the top ofsaid wall and said base, said groove having an upper edge, .said walltapering from a relatively thicker portion at the top thereof to arelatively thinner portion adjacent said base, said jig being adapted toreceive said fabric piece in said recess, said shell moving said fabricinto said groove as said shell moves into said recess whereby the upperedge of said groove directs the edges of said piece toward the center ofsaid recess.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,772,013 11/56Stover.

2,875,762 3 5 9 Middleton et al.

2,993,392 7/61 Decker 79-5 3,091,141 5/63 Decker 79-5 DONLEY J.STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Examiner.

